Welcome to St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
Raleigh, NC
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Welcome to St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
Raleigh, NC
March 30, 2023
Dear Preschool Families,
As I was recently reflecting on the ending of the Lenten season, I came across this quote from Pope Francis: “Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” I think that these words can help me to more fully appreciate Lent. I believe that it can do the same for our preschool community as well.
What is God calling us to do each day that might have become stale or lethargic due to the incessant activity of our busy lives? What is He trying to reignite in our spiritual lives during the Lenten season? All of the classes, in various ways, have tried to look for the answers to these questions during these last few weeks, particularly in relation to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the three pillars of Lent. By doing so, they’ve truly emphasized the ‘doing’ part of Lent.
With prayer, we are reminded that God wants us to talk with Him all of the time. Has your student shared with you the song, “Jesus Walked the Desert for Forty Days”? It’s a favorite among our students. While practicing it, we remind our preschoolers that singing can be considered prayer to God too. Fasting could mean many things for our preschoolers such as not having that extra cookie. It could also mean sharing something that we really, really like with a friend. If you’re playing with your three most favorite trucks, maybe you could give up one to a friend who also wants to play with them. Our preschoolers have practiced almsgiving in many ways too. The monthly manner focused on offering the gift of forgiveness to those who have hurt us in some way. Our 4 & 5-year old classes prepared soup kits with the 7th graders from TFS. The kits were then given to the low-income seniors who are the recipients of monthly lunches through the church’s Brown Bag Ministry. It was wonderful to witness, both big and little students coming together to support the elderly!
While our Lenten efforts have been a main focus for the month, we also were so excited to be able to again offer our families a chance to explore the variety of cultures that we have at preschool with our International Festival. Many thanks to our parent contact, Dana Smith, and to everyone who hosted one of the 11 countries that were represented; we couldn’t have done it without you! We are grateful to all those who were able to attend and partake in the joyful celebration of our many family heritages!
Finally, even though there is joy in our community, unfortunately, it is not the case for all schools. I am sure that you are aware of the tragedy that occurred this past week at a Christian school in Tennessee. It certainly emphasized the fact that a horrible event such as that can befall any community, regardless of size, affiliation, socio-economic status, etc. Although we can never guarantee that a shooting such as the one in Tennessee won’t occur here, we can promise to do our very best to take proactive and preventative measures to ensure everyone’s safety. We can also promise to continually strive to improve in plans that we do have. For example, because of ongoing emergency preparedness training, such as the active shooter training completed at the beginning of this school year, room numbers have now been placed in all classroom windows to make it easier for first responders to locate specific areas. Several additional outside security cameras have been installed on campus. The Diocesan Office of Education (OOE) is also moving forward with some initiatives for all schools. One of these has led to all schools forming a safety & security committee which is made up of teachers, staff, and parents who have a background in emergency response fields. One of their purposes is to ensure that our campus has solid plans in place to handle potential disasters and to continually reassess where any changes are needed. Please know that the safety of our students and staff will always be our top priority.
As we prepare for Easter, I hope that you will join me in offering prayers for the health and safety not only of our preschool community, but for all those who suffer violence, sickness, war, and discrimination in our world. May God bring peaceful days to you and those around you! Wishing you a very blessed Easter!
With Joy,
Heidi Hobler, Director
St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
11401 Leesville Road
Raleigh, NC 27613
919-847-8205 ext. 240
www.preschoolatstfrancis.com
February 28, 2023
Dear Preschool Families,
It is hard to believe that we are about to embark upon the final three months of preschool! Where has the time gone??
Recently, I was reminded of this quote from Corinthians: “Let all that you do be done in Love.” It seems particularly meaningful for February when we were talking to the children about care and kindness, especially as it relates to Valentine’s Day and the beginning of Lent. Our students have spent a lot of time making cards, learning songs, and thinking of ways to express love this past month. You may have noticed all of the hearts hanging on the Collaborative Art Wall outside of Fellowship Hall! As you might imagine, the etiquette focus for February was kindness and compliments.
At the beginning of the month, we continued showing love of our school with the final days of Catholic Schools Week. Not only were we grateful for all of the books that were collected for WAKE Up and Read, but we were so appreciative of the special concert that Jim Wahl, Director of Liturgy & Music, provided for our students at the end of the week. It’s safe to say that we all got a good workout by singing & dancing with Mr. Jim! Closely following this, we had the visit from the dentist and his sidekick, Ms. Toothpaste. They made sure that everyone knew how to demonstrate love for their teeth!
We are also continually showered with love by you, our families! Many thanks for the ongoing hospitality, kind words, and special treats that you have given our staff this past month. An extra thanks is extended to Jessica Goode and Shannon Hoffman for organizing a special breakfast for our teachers on Valentine’s Day!
Finally, I’d like to share some news that I received recently which ties into our Franciscan identity and love for all that God made. You may remember that in the Spring of 2021, through the generosity of many families and an anonymous donor, we were able to open our beautiful new playground. While grateful for the new equipment, there was a question of what to do with the old pieces. The playground company with whom we worked also partners with an organization called Kids Around the World (KATW). The purpose of KATW is to refurbish old playgrounds that still have usable pieces and install them all over the world to places where kids might not have access to a playground. Here is a video which explains more of what they do. As it turns out, several pieces of our old playground, including the green dragon, were able to be refurbished instead of being sent to a landfill. The COVID pandemic slowed the work of KATW, but they are fully operating again. The usable parts of our old playground are scheduled to be installed this week in the Dominican Republic! This is such wonderful news, particularly as we look for opportunities to teach our children how to care for our earth!
As we journey through the season of Lent, I hope that you will join me in offering prayers for the health and safety not only of our preschool community, but for all those who suffer violence, sickness, war, and discrimination in our world. May God bring peaceful days to you and others in our world!
With Joy,
Heidi Hobler, Director
St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
11401 Leesville Road
Raleigh, NC 27613
919-847-8205 ext. 240
www.preschoolatstfrancis.com
January 30, 2023
Dear Preschool Families,
Happy New Year! I hope this letter finds everyone enjoying 2023 so far! The year has started off with excitement and plenty to do in the classrooms! Everyone came back and hit the ground running!
When everyone first returned from Christmas break, there was lots of learning occurring in regards to the celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany. Several classes discussed what gifts they would bring to Baby Jesus. While I don’t think anyone mentioned bringing the traditional Wise Men gifts of gold, frankincense or myrrh, many offered very practical things. Since several of our students have firsthand experience with babies at home, they were easily able to rationalize that Baby Jesus would need bottles, blankets, diapers, and, of course, a cuddly stuffed animal!
Registration for the next school year and teacher conferences quickly followed. I am happy to report that our enrollment is strong for next year including for our new toddler/mom’s morning out class which will be held on Tuesday mornings in the room used for Stepping Stones; we are excited to offer this new opportunity for some of the youngest members of our community! In regards to registration for next year, please know that tuition increases directly correlate to teacher salaries. The majority of our budget goes towards wages & benefits for our staff. Many of you have probably heard me say that I can never pay our amazing staff what they are worth, even if I could offer a million dollars per day! While they do what they do out of love of children and early education, we, of course, want to do our best to ensure fair wages. Also, related to tuition, please be aware of the steps necessary to be considered for the Stewardship rate next year. A link to the parish information page for this can be found on our website. Chris Damico is the Director of Engagement & Development for the church and can also provide information about stewardship.
We are finishing the month by kicking off Catholic Schools Week. It was nice to see so many families at mass this past weekend to begin the celebration! Please refer to Mini Bits from this last Sunday or to your teacher’s newsletter to be aware of the different daily themes this week. Don’t forget to join in our first preschool community prayer on Wednesday, 2/1 & Friday, 2/3. We encourage all of our families to attend with their student as we join Ms. Kathryn and the children in morning Stepping Stones for prayer at 8:40. As a whole preschool, we will also be participating in the Wake Up and Read Book Drive. I encourage you to consider talking to your preschooler about what books he/she thinks another child might like to read. Perhaps you can pick one out together to donate to our collection. Classes will also be assembling gift bags with a hot cocoa kit inside as a service project; these will be given to the Helene Foundation which serves local families in which the mother is undergoing cancer treatment.
Finally, I want to take the opportunity to thank you for the ongoing love and care that you show to our teachers and staff. Not only were you highly generous this past holiday season, but you have continued to treat us with your hospitality donations, encouraging emails, and positive notes. We are, however, most thankful for all of your support in helping us to best serve your children!
With Joy,
Heidi Hobler, Director
St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
11401 Leesville Road
Raleigh, NC 27613
919-847-8205 ext. 240
www.preschoolatstfrancis.com
Dear Preschool Families,
Although December is a short month at preschool, it is definitely not lacking in enthusiasm, festiveness, or merry-making! This time of year is truly busy, but also full of excitement and hope which are echoed throughout the classrooms with our children!
While plenty of this excitement involves making presents for parents, decorating classroom trees, and even “managing” the mischievousness of a few silly classroom elves, there are also countless moments to remember the most important part of this season, the birth of our Lord & Savior. During Advent, we are reminded to prepare our hearts for this special day, particularly by bringing care and kindness to each other. We witnessed these things extended in several ways these past couple of weeks.
Our four & five-year olds assisted the church in placing tags on the Advent Giving Trees. Many of our other classes hung the tags on the tree at preschool as well. Everyone worked together to decorate pieces for the collaborative art wall outside of Fellowship. If you have a chance, stop by to see the beautiful, holy scene which they helped create with the assistance of one of our 3-year old parents, Ms. Emily Edwards. One of the beautiful expressions of faith which never fails to melt my heart, is listening to our students sing songs about Jesus’ birth. I can’t help but think that the Lord gets a huge smile when He looks down upon them and hears their precious voices singing with genuine love!
The teachers, staff, and I were recipients of your generous care, especially when we were showered with so many warm wishes, gifts, lunch, and cards! We all are so grateful for your overwhelming kindness! I was especially blessed to have a “double dose” of that generosity for the celebration of my birthday- thank you! You may have heard me say how fortunate I feel to be able to share the day with people (big & little) who make me so happy!
Although we have much to enjoy and celebrate this season, there is some sadness too as we say good-bye to one of our 2-year assistant teachers, Ms. Chris Bjerke. Ms. Chris has submitted her resignation due to some health concerns. While we will certainly miss her, we wish her all the best!
As we get ready to bring in a new year, please don’t forget that registration for 2023-2024 will be right around the corner when we return! It will open online at 7:00am on January 5th.
I can’t say enough how much it means to the teachers and I in your allowing us to share in the joy of your children! They are our Christmas blessings and promise of hope throughout the year!
May your families always know the peace, joy, and hope of God’s everlasting presence now and throughout the upcoming year!
Merry Christmas and many blessings for 2023!
With Appreciation,
Heidi Hobler, Director
St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
11401 Leesville Road
Raleigh, NC 27613
919-847-8205 ext. 240
www.preschoolatstfrancis.com
November 2022
As I look back on this month focusing on being thankful and appreciative of our blessings, I am overwhelmed with gratitude at all that was accomplished!
It has been two years since we were last able to hold the in-person portion of our Harvest Moon Festival and there was much to be done in preparation. It took many volunteers to successfully pull everything together! I am so grateful to all of our families who donated items, bought basket raffle tickets, bid in the auction and joined us on the day of the event. I want to extend a special thanks to those who agreed to chair a committee including Shannon Hoffman, Ali Magnuson, Lauren Thedieck, Ariana Dolan, Kate Conklin, Katie Haden, Megan Casady, and Laura Cirone. Their organizing and executing efforts were amazing! Many additional thanks also goes to our room parents in putting together some spectacular baskets. Final totals indicate that we have $17, 000 which will mainly be used to start a fund specifically geared towards bringing in more enriching community programs for our students (such as Farmer Minor and his pig, Daisy). What a blessing!
Speaking of community opportunities, it was wonderful to have Ms. Bobbie Jo and her pet chameleon, Franklin, visit us. As we did with other animals last month when celebrating St. Francis, we learned what is required to care for a pet like Franklin. Our children heard all about the type of food he eats, where he likes to live, and also how to tell what he is feeling (ask your preschooler if he/she remembers what color Franklin changes when he is happy!). We also had an unexpected opportunity to have a visit from 2 dogs from the local animal rescue, Saving Grace. Not only were the children able to learn about how Saving Grace takes care of animals who don’t have a home, but they were able to deliver the dog biscuits that they had previously made. Both of the furry friends gobbled up those tasty treats!
I am so happy that our students were able to participate in several acts of service this month to share appreciation and kindness to others. From decorating baffles for houses being built by Habitat for Humanity to making cards for veterans our preschoolers were busy! I’d like to especially thank the Persak family for make a special delivery to the local VA hospital with the cards. Finally, many of our classes took part in hanging the paper ornaments on the parish Advent Giving Trees. By doing so, they assisted the parish in collecting items for those experiencing great need during the upcoming holiday season.
With the season of Advent beginning already last weekend and only three weeks until our holiday break, the classrooms will surely be bustling with special activities and projects to remind us to whom we should always give thanks for all of our blessings, our Lord and Savior. I look forward to celebrating this season with you all!
With Joy & Hope,
Heidi Hobler, Director
St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
11401 Leesville Road
Raleigh, NC 27613
919-847-8205 ext. 240
www.preschoolatstfrancis.com
October 2022
Celebrating our patron saint, Francis of Assisi, was such a wonderful way to begin the month! The children put the lessons that they learned from St. Francis into practice as October unfolded. Hopefully, you and your family were also able to enjoy Francis Fest with the parish!
One of the first things that our students heard about St. Francis was his care for all that God has created, especially the animals. It was such a pleasure to have Fr. Alex and Fr. Jim come to read to each class the story of St. Francis and Gubbio. After the story, they blessed a myriad of stuffed animals including puppies, teddy bears, elephants, ponies, and an octopus; no one from the animal kingdom was left out!
Following this special day, each class completed a service project for a local animal shelter by making dog biscuits. The activity was not only rich in fine motor practice, but also wonderful in helping our children participate in an act of kindness with which they could easily relate. Collecting acorns for the rescued pigs at Saving Grace provided another opportunity for the students to spread kindness towards animals as St. Francis did. Their hard work filled seven garbage bags full of treats for the pigs! Speaking of pigs, did you hear about Daisy and Farmer Minor who came and reminded us of the importance of reading! Daisy made us laugh, but also shared some good books and even hugs with our children!
Our students were also able to practice extending kindness to several first responders in our community during the safety vehicle parade. There were posters, signs, flags, and many cheers to show appreciation and thankfulness for what they do. I am very grateful to the parents who helped make this event possible: John Gabbard, Joe McLaughlin, Alec Artze, and Vikki & Matt Lyman. Many thanks for all you do for our community!
Finally, please be sure to continue to follow our preschool Facebook page and weekly newsletter, Mini Bits. Ms. Shelley does a wonderful job posting pictures of things such as the Halloween parades and other fun events happening at our school. You will also find useful information such as how to bid on the silent auction items and buy game bands & class basket raffle tickets for our Harvest Moon Festival. For the first time since 2019, we will be able to have the in-person portion of the event. It will be in Fellowship Hall on November 6th from 1-3:00pm. There will be preschool games, food from the Knights of Columbus, and plenty of opportunities for fellowship with other families. While we hope that everyone can attend, we can’t make the day possible without many hands. Please kindly consider helping us by volunteering an hour of your time. We need everyone to help make the day a success and raise money for our preschool. While all that is raised is put directly back into our preschool, this year, a large portion of the money raised will go towards establishing a fund for future community programs that come to us. Farmer Minor and his pig, Daisy, are an example of one such program. We hope that we can bring in many more fun and unique learning opportunities for the children!
The teachers, staff, and I will look forward to the next month with harvest happenings, turkey excitement, and highlighting the manner of ‘gratefulness’. I give thanks every day for my preschool family! As all families, we try to offer care and support for one another. One way to do this is through prayer. Please extend a prayer at this time for one of our staff, Ms. Tere Burke, who is recovering from a serious medical condition with her heart. Her prognosis is positive at this time, but she will likely have a long recovery. I know that she and her family would appreciate your prayers! Thank you for all of your support of her and our preschool!
With Joy,
Heidi Hobler, Director
St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
11401 Leesville Road
Raleigh, NC 27613
919-847-8205 ext. 240
www.preschoolatstfrancis.com
September 2022
It seems hard to believe that we have already completed the first full month of a new school year! It is truly joyful for the staff and I to have hear the sounds of giggles and enthusiasm filling the halls as we welcome students each day! Even our most unsure children seem to be wearing more smiles and having fewer tears at the start of the day. I try to visit each class multiple times during the week and with each drop-in, I witness magically inspiring things that are not only teacher-initiated, but also student driven. If I go into a classroom towards the end of the day, it is not uncommon to see droopy eyes and even a few yawns; many of you might have heard me say that these are indications that we have had a good day at school. Sometimes I tell new parents that if we don’t send a child home tired and dirty then we really haven’t done our job. After all, preschool is all about learning through play; play for a preschooler should be full of opportunities to engage full force by being hands-on and “all in” for everything that is done. Playing only “halfway” is not an option at preschool!
I feel blessed that each day, I can witness children’s curiosity being sparked while special bonds are also being created as the classes develop into families which then naturally come together to create a larger school family. While our staff help lay the groundwork for fostering a sense of family by maintaining a safe, welcoming, and faith-filled environment grounded in respect, care, and kindness, we know that it is not only our doing. Each individual family adds to the formation of our greater school family. It is because of the strong relationships and in partnering together that our school family helps us make the year a successful one!
One way that our school family is asked to come together early in the new school year is through our annual Harvest Moon Festival. Like many of our events and special activities that have historically been sources of fellowship and family engagement but were sidelined or downsized during the COVID pandemic, the Harvest Moon Festival brings so much to our school family. As our school’s main fundraiser and opportunity to connect with other families, we are excited to welcome this event back as it used to be. With that being said, we are in great need of volunteers, both for planning and execution of the event. Please consider lending a hand to this beloved event! Not only are we searching for volunteers, but also items for the silent auction portion of Harvest Moon. Please let us know if you have any good leads on items for the auction! In the meantime, please help us earn money for preschool by linking your Harris Teeter VIC card, signing up for Amazon Smile, or purchasing preschool spirit wear.
We are also asking our school family to help us carry on an event that was begun last year. Our Community Safety Parade is a way for our students to not only experience the thrill of seeing an emergency vehicle on campus, but also to offer their appreciation for all that our first responders do. We are still seeking vehicles to participate so if you or someone you know is able to join us, please let us know.
There will be many more opportunities next month to grow our school family spirit. Consider kicking off October by attending the parish-wide Francis Fest on October 2nd. Next week you might also collect acorns with your child and friends to add to those which will be gathered by each class. The acorns will be given to the pigs at Saving Grace. Not only do the pigs consider them a treat, but this small act allows our students to practice care of creation as our patron, Francis of Assisi, did. We will have many other opportunities throughout the month to come together in various ways as a school family. Please continue to watch Mini Bits, our weekly newsletter which is released each Sunday, for details!
In addition to Mini Bits, please be sure to continue to follow our preschool Facebook page to see pictures of all of the exciting happenings in the weeks ahead! Hopefully, this past week, you were able to view some of the ideas for ways to celebrate national T.A.C.O. (Take A Child Outside) week. To further make connections with other preschool families, don’t forget about our parent preschool Facebook page as well.
The teachers, staff, and I will look forward to the next month of fun while getting to know each other more! Thank you for all of your support!
With Joy,
Heidi Hobler, Director
St. Francis of Assisi Preschool
11401 Leesville Road
Raleigh, NC 27613
919-847-8205 ext. 240
www.preschoolatstfrancis.com